Centrifugal separating machine



Sept. 21 1926.

. 1,600,328 v H. FELDME'IER I GENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 26, 19120 2 sneak -shew 2 lN'l/f'NTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES I 1 1,600,328 PATENT o Fflcr.)

HARVEY' FELDMEIER, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO D. H. 'BURRELL & (30., INCL, OF LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATING MACHINE.

Original application filed October 26, 1920, Seria1 No. 419,652. Divided and this application filed December 4, 1922.

This invention relates to centrifugal liq- ,uid or cream separators of the kind in which the separating bowl is mounted upon the upper end of a rotary supporting and drivlng spindle. The invention relates more particularly to improvements in the separating bowl, this application being a division of my application for United States Patentfiled Oct. 26, 1920, Serial No. 119,652. v

The object of the invention is to simplify and improve 'the construction of a centrifugal separating bowl in the respects hereinafter described, whereby certain specified advantages are obtained; and to otherwise improve centrifugal separator bowls as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevat on of a centrifugal separating machine having a bowl embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof on line 2'2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the lower portion of the bowl on line 33, Fig. 1.

A represents the bowl of a centrifugal cream separator, and B the upright spindle on the upper end of which the bowl is supported, and which is rotated by drive mechanism preferably comprising a hand oper ated crank shaft-C on which is secured a gear wheel D meshing with a pinion (not shown) on a horizontal intermediate shaft F, which is provided with a spiral gear Gr meshing with a spiral pinion or worm H on the bowl spindle.

The separator bowl, which is preferably constructed as hereinafter described, and its drive mechanism, are mounted on a supporting frame which may be of any suitable construction, but which is preferably constructed as fully shown and described in my said application, Serial No. 419,652. The

f bowl spindle B is journalled in upper and lower bearings of the usual or any suitable kind supported in the machine illustrated,

respectively by the top 11 and in the hollow body 10 of themachine frame. The lower bearing 21 shown, is a ball bearing seated in a socket 22 in the horizontal partition 14 of the body, while the upper bearing consists of the usual self-centering bushing 23' in which the spindle turns and which is yieldingly centered in an opening 2 1 in the top 11 Serial No. 604,962.

by suitable springs surrounding the bushmg. A cap soldered or otherwise suitably seoured to the bushing, and loosely secured on a flange around the opening 24 supports the bushing loosely in the openingbut permits the desired lateral play of the bushing. This cap also helps to prevent slop or liquid from going down into the gear case. A collar 25 secured on the spindle below the bushing '23 holds the spindle in the frame when the bowl is removed,- otherwise the spindle might come out when removing the bowl, which would be inconvenient on account of the oil that is on the spindle. .The cap 25 prevents the bearing itself frombeing lifted out by the collar when the bowl is lifted, which tends to 'carry the spindle withit by friction.

The bottom receiving pan for the separated liquid is seated and confined in a suitable seat 26 on the frame top so that the tinware or skim milk and cream receiving pans 27 and 28 and the bowl casing 29 Which encloses the separating bowl, "and which are seated'one upon the other, are. thus retained in proper relation to the separating bowl. I

The separator bowl A shown comprises a circular bottom 40 provided with an integral, upwardly extending, central hub tl, and an inverted, cup-shaped, open bottomed shell 42 which is clamped tightly on the bowl bottom by a nut 43 which is screwed onqthe threaded upper end of the central hub 41 and bears against the top of the shell. The nut preferably extends down through a central hole in the top of the shell and is hollow, form ing in effect, a hollow upper extension of the bowl hub 41, and has oneor morelateral holes 14 through which theliquid to be separated enters the bowl. Preferably, the lower end of the shell fits around the cylin drical periphery of the bowl bottom above an outwardly entendingflange thereon, and

passes therefrom into the upper portion of the bowl. The skim milk or heavier liquid is discharged from the bottom of the bowl through the annular channel 46 and exit passages 4-7 leading inwardly therefrom through the bowl bottom into a central discharge throat 48 formed by an annular flange 49 depending from the bottom of the bowl. Any desired number of exit passages 47 can be used.

50 represents the eXit hole for the cream or lighter liquid. This hole extends through the bottom of-the bowl near its center into the throat 48 and is preferably made eccentrically in the usual screw plug which can be turned for adjusting the exit hole relatively to the axis of the bowl, in a well known manner. The cream flows from this exit hole down the inner surface of the throat flange 49 and escapes through a hole 51' in the side thereof, the cream being prevented from mixing with the milk intne throat 48 by an internal U-sh'aped rib 52 on the flange.

49 which forms a flow channel for the cream.

The separator bowllcan be r movably seciired on the spindle B to turn therewith in any suitable manner, for instance by the usual plug 53 secured in the hollow hub of the bowl and having afiat face engaging a fiat side on the upper end of the spindle which fits into the hub. 54L indicates the usual separator blades in the bowl.

In the se aaratin'g bowl above described, the. whole milk enters at the top and the separated, skim milk and cream discharge at the bottom, and the-bowl is essentially different from prior bowls in which the cream and skim milk discharge at the top. These prior constructions necessitatea feed tube or device surrounding the central hub of the bowl for carrying the new inilk to .the botto'mof the bowl. The'bowl herein described simplifies the hub construction and does awayflwith" such central; feedtubes or dis tributing devices', forming a more direct pas sage for the milk which enters atone end and discharges at the other, A bottomdischarge bowl has the advantageth'at, when it;co mest0 rest, it drains, and if left standing oyer night, is not left full of milk that may become more or less acid and tend to corrode the bowl, as is the case with bowls having the top discharge. One of the chief problems .in bowl design is totry to take the cream and skim milk out as near the center as possible, because this saves energy, also reduces the shock or impact; and the foaming of the discharged liquid. To do this, it isdesirable to have as little the center of the bowl-as possible and the present construction, as stated, eliminates the central feed tube. for carrying the milk to the bottom of the bowl. The space thus saved makes it possible to use a larger spindle, which makes a more rigid construction and a better running machine. The bottom discharge bowl leaves-a cleaner separator, because it drains into the receiving pans, while in the case of the top discharge bowhthe pans are above the bowl, and if any liquid leaks from the bowl, due possibly to a faulty bowl joint, it goes down into the bowl case and the frame. With the bowl herein described, leakage from the bowl joint would go into the cream, and unless it were unusually bad, would not be noticed in the thinning of the cream. v H

Since the. separator bowl is" dctachably seated on the upper endof the spindle B, the bowl can be lifted off of the'spii'idl'e, leaving the latter in place in the machine, and there is no dangerofthe oil on the spindle getting'oh or into the bowl, as would bethe case if the spindle were permanently. conne'cted with the bowl and had'to be'removed with the bowl. The cream and skim n'iilk passages arranged as shown are very easy to clean because they extend straight through the bowl bottoin' into the. large throat 48, so that one'can see through them and conveniently clean them with. a brush or other suitable cleaning implement. The outer ends of the straight, skim mill: passage 4;? 'are also exposed at the peripheryof the bowl bottom when this is disconnected from the shell 42. It is, therefore, a very'simple and easy matter to keep the bowl in'a per fe'ctl'y clean and sanitary condition I claim as my invention 1.;nr a centrifugal separating machine, the combination with i an upright driving spindle, of 'an upright rotary separating bowl comprising a bottom having a down ward'ly opening central discharge throat cavity in its under side surrounding said spindle, and an upwardly projecting hollow hub closed at its upper endwhi'ch receives and is reinova'bly seated upon the upper end of said spindle, and an open bottomed shell removably seated at its owe'r end 011 said bottom, said bowl having an opening at its upper portion outside of said hub through which liqnid to be separated is fed into the bowl, liquid discharge passages leading from the lower end ofgthe bowl through the bottom thereof into said discharge throat may, at least one of said passages' extending inwardly from its point of communication with the interior'of the bowl, and a receiving palr having a central bottom opening surrounding said throat cavity above its lower end, said bowl bottom ha-vinga dis charge passage leading from said throat cavity above the bottom of said receiving pan. j c

2. In a centrifugal separating machine,

the combination with an uprightydrivi fg spindle, of an upright rotary. separating bowl compris ng a bottom having adownwardly opening central dlscharge throat cavity in its under side surrounding said a straight liquid discharge passage leading from the lower end of the bowl through said bottom into said discharge throat cavity and extending inwardly toward the axis of the bowl from its point of communication with the interior of the bowl, a second discharge passage extending through said bottom to said throat cavity and communicating with the interior of the bowl at a point nearer the axis of the bowl than said first men- I tioned discharge passage, and a receiving pan having a central bottom opening surrounding said throat cavity above its lower end, said bowl bottom having a discharge passage leading from said throat cavity above the bottom of said receiving pan.

3. In a centrifugal separating machine, the combination with an upright driving spindle, of an upright. rotary separating bowl comprising a bottom having a clownwardly opening central discharge throat in its under side, and an'upwardly pro ecting central hollow hub which receives and is removably seated upon the upper end of the driving spindle, and'an open bottomed shell removably seated at its lower end on said bottom, said bowl having an opening at its upper portion through which liquid to be separated is fed into the bowl, said bottom having a. reduced peripheral portion forming an annular peri heral channel in the lower end of the bow a straight liquid discharge passage leading inwardly from said channel through the bottom of the bowl to said central throat, and another liquid discharge passage extending through said bottom to said throat near the axis of rotation of the bowl.

4. In a centrifugal separating machine, an upright rotary separating bowl havlng an opening at its upper portion through which liquid is fed into the bowl, an an nular flange depending from the bottom of the bowl and forming a central discharge throat under the bowl, a liquid discharge passage communicating with the lower end of the bowl and leading inwardly to said discharge throat, another liquid discharge passage leading from the lower end of the bowl into said discharge throat near the inner surface of said throat flange, said throat flange having a liquid exit hole therethrough, and an open channel on the inner surface of said flange extending from said second discharge passage to said exit hole in the flange.

5. In a centrifugal separating machine, the combination with an upright driving spindle, of an upright rotary separating bowl comprising a bottom having a downwardly opening central discharge throat in its under side, and an upwardly projecting central hollow hub which receives and is removably seated upon the upper end of the driving spindle, and an open bottomed shell removably seated at its lower end on said bottom, said bowl having an opening at its upper portion through which liquid to be separated is fed into the bowl, said bottom being provided with a substantially cylinf drical peripheral edge entering the lower end of said shell and having an outwardly projecting flange at its lower portion on which the bottom edge of said shell seats, and a rabbet in its upper portion forming with said shell an annular liquid channel in the lower end of the bowl, a straight liquid discharge passage leading inwardly from said liquid channel through the bottom of the bowl to said central throat, and another liquid discharge passage extending through said bottom to said throat nearer the axis of rotation of the bowl.

HARVEY FELDMEIER. 

